iOS app development services: native iPhone apps built with Swift
Whatever your iOS app needs
Whether you're building a new iPhone or iPad app, improving an existing one, or looking for long-term iOS development and support, we can help through a Fixed Price Project or Continuous Monthly Development, from planning through development to App Store launch.
Why native iOS development
A native iOS app is designed and built specifically for Apple's ecosystem, iPhone, iPad, and other iOS devices. When you want your app available exclusively on iOS, or when you need optimal performance and full access to Apple's latest features, native development delivers results that cross-platform alternatives can't match.
We have in-house developers experienced in building native iOS apps using Swift (and Objective-C when maintaining legacy projects), plus designers who optimize your app's UI/UX following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines.
Considering both iOS and Android?
Cross-platform development using React Native might be more cost-effective if you need your app on both platforms. See our Android development services here.
Advantages of native iOS development
Platform-optimized performance
Native iOS apps are built with Swift and Apple's SDKs, running directly on the iOS operating system without translation layers. This results in faster execution, smoother animations, and more responsive interfaces that feel natural to iPhone and iPad users.
Full access to Apple ecosystem features
Native development provides immediate access to the latest iOS capabilities: Face ID, Apple Pay, HealthKit, ARKit, Core ML, and other frameworks that define premium iOS experiences. Cross-platform tools often lag behind when Apple releases new features.
Apple-native user experience
iOS users expect apps to follow platform conventions, navigation patterns, gestures, visual design, and interaction behaviors that feel distinctly "iPhone." Native development makes it easier to deliver experiences that meet these expectations and pass App Store review guidelines.
Optimized for Apple hardware
Native iOS development allows fine-tuned optimization for iPhone processors, displays, cameras, and sensors. This matters for apps requiring high performance: photo editing, gaming, AR experiences, or real-time data processing.
iOS app support and Continuous Monthly Development
Send tasks whenever they arise. With Care, everything runs in writing at one fixed monthly price: no estimates to approve, no cost overruns.
Care Plus gives you everything in Care at its own fixed monthly price, plus up to two hours of meetings per month with a Project Manager or any 1902 Software expert (for planning, advice, and technical discussion), up to two ongoing tasks at a time, and up to two developers working on your tasks at the same time.
Care Ultimate is for ongoing engagements, often across multiple systems, that need close collaboration: a fixed price for every task or group of tasks, approved by you before work begins, people with the right expertise added to your project as your needs grow, and meetings with any 1902 Software expert whenever you need them (billed at the going project management rate for the actual time spent).
Typical work includes:
- Bug fixes
- New functionality
- iOS version updates
- UI and UX improvements
- Performance optimization
- API integrations
- App Store releases
- Push notification improvements
- AI implementation
- Ongoing technical support
Fixed Price Projects
For a single, well-defined iOS project (a new build, a major upgrade) you get one agreed price for the whole thing, fixed before work begins.
Typical projects include:
- New iPhone and iPad applications
- Major app redesigns
- Major version upgrades
- Backend integrations
- App modernization projects
Large projects typically start with a Project Scoping phase at an agreed, prepaid fixed price. The purpose is to precisely define what will be built and to establish the final price. This ensures full clarity for both you and us before development begins.
Taking over existing iOS apps
Many of our iOS clients originally worked with another iOS app development company.
We regularly take over existing iOS applications, review the existing implementation and continue development with minimal disruption to your business.
Our iOS app development process
Discovery and planning
We start by understanding your business goals, target users, and app requirements. This includes defining features, user flows, technical architecture, and App Store strategy before any code is written.
UI/UX design
Our designers create interfaces following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines while expressing your brand. You receive interactive prototypes in Figma that demonstrate user flows before development begins.
Native iOS development
Developers build your app using Swift and platform-specific iOS frameworks. You receive regular progress updates and working builds to test functionality as features are completed.
Quality assurance and testing
We test across different iPhone and iPad models, iOS versions, and real-world usage scenarios to identify issues before your users encounter them.
App Store launch and support
We handle App Store submission, including compliance with Apple's guidelines, metadata optimization, and addressing review feedback. Post-launch support ensures smooth operation as users adopt your app.
When native iOS development makes sense
You're targeting the premium market
iOS users tend to spend more on apps and in-app purchases. If your business model depends on engaged, paying users, iOS-first or iOS-only strategies often generate better ROI.
Performance is non-negotiable
Apps requiring smooth real-time performance, complex animations, or heavy processing benefit from native optimization: games, photo/video editing, AR experiences, or data visualization tools.
You need the latest Apple features quickly
When your competitive advantage depends on adopting new iOS capabilities immediately after Apple announces them, native development eliminates the waiting period for cross-platform tools to catch up.
You're building for a single platform
If your users are exclusively on iPhone and iPad, investing in native development makes more sense than compromising for cross-platform compatibility you won't use.
Technologies we use for iOS development
Swift
Apple's modern programming language that powers contemporary iOS applications, offering performance, safety, and maintainability advantages over its predecessor Objective-C.
Objective-C
Still used for maintaining legacy iOS applications and integrating with older codebases. We handle both new Swift development and Objective-C maintenance.
Xcode and iOS SDK
Apple's official development environment and frameworks that provide access to all iOS capabilities, from basic UI components to advanced features like machine learning and augmented reality.
Design and testing
Good mobile applications require more than programming.
Our in-house designers create user-friendly, modern app designs following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines, while our professional QA testers verify functionality, performance, and usability across iPhone and iPad models and iOS versions before every release.
Like every team at 1902 Software, our iOS developers, designers, and testers work with modern AI-assisted tools across planning, design, development, and testing. Every solution is still reviewed, tested, and verified by experienced software developers and testers before delivery.
Ready to build your iOS app?
Whether you’re planning a new iOS application, improving an existing app, or looking for ongoing iOS development and support, we’d be happy to help.
Book a meeting and we’ll help you determine whether a Fixed Price Project, Continuous Monthly Development, or a combination of both is the right approach for your iOS project.
Free, no-commitment
Commonly asked questions
Do you provide ongoing iOS app support?
Yes. Continuous Monthly Development is our primary service for ongoing iOS development and support. It allows you to continuously improve your app without requesting a quotation for every individual task.
Can you take over an existing iOS app?
Yes. We regularly take over iOS applications developed by other software development companies and continue development with minimal disruption to your business.
Should I build native iOS or go cross-platform?
Build native iOS when you’re targeting premium markets where iOS users dominate and spend more on apps, need immediate access to the latest Apple features (Face ID, Apple Pay, ARKit, Core ML), require optimal performance for graphics-intensive or real-time apps, or serve exclusively iPhone/iPad users. Choose cross-platform (React Native or .NET MAUI) when you need both iOS and Android simultaneously, development speed and cost efficiency are priorities, and app functionality is standard without platform-specific feature requirements.
Swift versus Objective-C for iOS apps: what's the difference?
Swift is Apple’s modern programming language that powers contemporary iOS applications, offering performance, safety, and maintainability advantages. For new iOS development, we recommend Swift. Objective-C is the legacy language still used in older iOS applications; we maintain Objective-C codebases and handle updates for existing apps that need feature additions, but all new development uses Swift unless there’s a specific technical reason to use Objective-C.
Can we build iOS first and add Android later?
You can absolutely build iOS first and add Android later. Many businesses launch on their primary platform to validate the concept before investing in the second platform. iOS-first makes sense when your target market is North America or Western Europe where iOS usage is higher, or when targeting premium users who spend more on apps. If your audience uses both platforms equally and you need a simultaneous launch, cross-platform development (React Native or .NET MAUI) may be more cost-effective than building native apps sequentially.
Do iOS apps cover both iPhone and iPad?
Native iOS development using Swift supports both iPhone and iPad from a single codebase with responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes. We design and test for both device types during development. If your app requires significantly different experiences on iPhone vs iPad (like utilizing iPad’s larger screen for multi-column layouts or split-screen features), we implement platform-specific interfaces while sharing the underlying business logic and functionality.
Do you handle App Store submission too?
We handle complete iOS app development from planning through App Store launch. This includes UI/UX design following Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, native iOS development using Swift, QA testing across iPhone and iPad models and iOS versions, App Store submission including compliance with Apple’s guidelines, metadata and screenshot optimization, addressing review feedback, and post-launch support.
How long until an iOS app is live on the App Store?
Timeline depends on app complexity and feature count. Simple apps with standard functionality can launch in 2-3 months from planning to App Store. Complex apps with custom features, backend integrations, or extensive functionality take 4-6+ months. Apple’s App Store review typically takes 1-3 days for initial submission, though it can take longer if they request changes. We provide a specific timeline as part of the project scope after understanding your requirements.